Written by

Andrew L. John
The Desert Sun

Twenty photographs hang neatly from a single wall inside the old Palm Desert Athletic Club, encased in pristine white home plate replicas. Gone from the dilapidated 7,000-square foot facility are the weight machines and treadmills, replaced by eight batting cages, pitching simulators and a wall aligned with dozens of trophies and plaques.

A generation of ballplayers have come to know this place as a second home. It's where they come to get in the extra swings that could help take their game to the next level. Many of them have already secured a college scholarship, a feat that was nearly ...